Maybe the kid preferred the school meal to the home meal?
I mean no disrespect to my parents, but I never really cared for my packaged lunches, and they knew it. I was so glad when we got included in some sort of trial program where I got free lunches daily (I still remember my access code, 20 years later!).
Not that the school lunch was great, it wasn’t, but I had a “thing” about sandwich meat —— it made me gag :) When the lunch program came through, I was able to not have to take in any sandwiches ever again!!!
I got my Dad to give me a buck a day for lunch money, and I used it to buy extra food on the days we had yeast rolls and/or pizza (which were the two good tasting items on the lunch menu).
And it should be noted: I can eat sandwich meat, as long as it is cold & very fresh. But once it is not that, then I can’t handle it, at all. Gagging results, to the point of barfing in a projectile manner.
I usually brought lunch from home and by the time I was about 9 I often made it myself. With my mother’s help generally, but soon learned how to do it all without help.
SEPARATION OF SCHOOL AND STATE!